Arooj Zulfiqar

Pakistan has a diverse climate for potato seed production throughout the year, which makes it one of the main cash crops of the country. As far as output is concerned, it ranks the fourth most significant crop which contributes to the country's domestic consumption.

Talking to WealthPK, Dr Muhammad Iqbal, Principal Scientific Officer at National Agriculture Research Centre (NARC), said an area of 194,000 hectares yields a yearly production of 500,000 tonnes of potatoes in the country.

“For the entire year, potato seed production is possible in Pakistan because of its diverse climate,” he said.

Dr Iqbal said Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) is already experimenting with tissue culture and aeroponics to produce potato seeds.

“Due to high initial cost, poor farmers cannot afford to use aeroponic technology. However, if used, it produces a higher yield of potatoes than those grown in the traditional manner,” Dr Iqbal said.

“If produced through conventional methods, one plant gives five tuber seeds, but if we produce the same plant through aeroponics, the plant will give us 40-50 seed tubers,” he said.

The official mentioned that only 2% of the potato seeds Pakistan purchases from Holland are certified. “Pakistan’s overall need for potato seed is 400,000 tonnes, yet we only import 15,000 tonnes,” he said.

Dr Iqbal further said that while the price of imported seed is high at around Rs140-170 thousand per ha -- the production of certified seed is limited and has technical, financial, and management issues. Due to lack of resources, the majority of farmers rely on low-quality seed sources, which reduces production.

“Despite ease of cultivation and low labour requirements, Pakistan's potato yield is not impressive. There are several numbers of biotic and abiotic factors that contribute to Pakistan's low crop yield, as well as the country's comparatively small land allocation,” he said.

The vast majority of Pakistani potato farmers are illiterate, and they are not aware of the characteristics of soil and how they affect crop growth. Furthermore, due to budgetary limitations, timely application of adequate fertilizers appears to be beyond the means of the majority of farmers. As a result, potatoes cultivated in soils with low physical qualities and nutrient deficiencies are unable to provide the desired quantity of tubers.

Dr Iqbal said PARC is experimenting with tissue culture and aeroponics to produce potato seeds. At the National Institute for Genomics and Advance Biotechnology (NIGAB), NARC, a seminar was organized in this regard recently. Dr Kown Min, a famous Korean expert on the manufacturing of potato seeds, presented the session.

Speaking at the event, PARC Chairman Dr Ghulam Muhammad Ali thanked the Korean government for helping to establish the aeroponics system at PARC Islamabad and providing technical assistance in this respect. He said Pakistan has a variety of climates throughout the year, which is suitable for producing potato seeds.

Independent News Pakistan-Wealthpk